


Awakening

by SailorStarDust1



Series: Final Heaven: CloTi prompts [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Canon - Original Game, Canonical Character Death, Childhood Memories, Crushes, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Mutual Pining, Nibelheim, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-29
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-12-25 10:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18259649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1
Summary: Nibelheim. On that day, 5 years ago.Prompt Fill: Awakening, subprompt: Fire for Finalheaven's March Prompt Challenge.





	Awakening

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [SailorStarDust1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorStarDust1/pseuds/SailorStarDust1) in the [FinalheavenServerMar2019](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/FinalheavenServerMar2019) collection. 



Heat of the flames singeing the tips of blond hair, he was unable to breathe, hacking from billowing dark smoke. Why did things turn out like this? Shinra...reinforcements hadn’t arrived to help. Shinra, ultimately, cared nothing about _them_ , let alone his peaceful hometown. Life was ultimately better before the Mako Reactor ruined everything.

Why did Sephiroth end up so heartless? What changed in that perfectly sane soul, before he shut himself away one week ago?

Zack. Cloud hadn’t the time to ask his—secretly idolized—Soldier First Class friend what transpired between the two operatives in the Shinra mansion before everything abruptly went to Hell, Sephiroth razing his home to the ground, stabbing his mother, the neighborhood children, and townspeople without any remorse in his heart.

His mother, only days before, was overjoyed at Cloud’s return home. During her cooking dinner for him, her doting and mundane life concerns for him, he couldn’t spit out the truth. His uniform wasn’t that of Soldier, but merely...a lowly infantryman.

He ultimately failed in getting _her_ to notice, let alone protecting her and his own mother.

_…Tifa…_

Cloud jolted awake with a sudden start, wincing through pain surging in his thigh where the Masamune cut him. Surrounded by growing flames, hungry for consumption.

_What about Tifa? Is she…safe?_

* * *

Enveloped in crystal-clear memories of 2 years ago, having turned 14 that past summer.

His casual clothes of a t-shirt and shorts suited him just fine. The windows open, a cool December wind resulted in their curtains fluttering about. It wasn’t chilly enough for snow to fall yet. In another few weeks, their local winter celebrations would begin.

Nibelheim’s autumn harvest had been plentiful. Cloud’s mother Claudia, social butterfly that she was, chatted away with the neighbors around that cozy bonfire. Her son shyly kept quiet, nervously adjusting his ponytail while occasionally gazing at the mayor’s daughter. Tifa was popular herself, cheerfully laughing with the local kids as they roasted marshmallows together.

Claudia had left Cloud to another day of boring homework in their humble home. She was at the general store for equal amounts daily gossip with the owner’s wife and some grocery shopping. Certainly both women were frustrated in keeping their rowdy sons in line!

Fingers drumming across the battered wooden desk, boredom set in, Cloud’s eyes glazing over thick textbook pages. He couldn’t help slight pangs of envy, given the neighbors’ larger—in some cases, two-story!—homes. His mother’s house was small enough where the living and bedroom were technically a shared space. Any company politely ignored the two beds blocking the full view of their front window. At least the kitchen area had plenty of space for Mom’s company during her weekly coffee and cake get-togethers.

Loneliness wasn’t even an issue when Cloud simply had no friends of his own to visit, after all. Didn’t matter. Come that spring, everything would change for him—for the better.

Cloud grumbled, somewhat embarrassed about his family’s predicament. Scraping by in their day to day living thanks to his deceased father’s merger savings account, his mother added to the household income by housecleaning for the neighbors. Good, honest, work.

If he eventually joined Soldier—maybe even become a First Class, with enough hard work—they wouldn’t have money troubles ever again.

Gnawing the end of his pencil, the blond groaned into his math workbook. Neither book was any help! He was completely unable to figure out the complex math problem staring him in the face, ears suddenly perking up at the familiar sound wafting into the otherwise silent room.

“Oh...”

 _That time already?_ Cloud glanced at the rusted clock, a wall decoration above Mom’s bed. 4:30 in the afternoon meant his neighbor was beginning her weekly piano practice before nightly lessons at her instructor’s house. He smiled. Hearing her seemingly perfected playing, those delicate fingers gently caressing the ivories, Cloud quite curious why she even needed extra training to begin with. Certainly Tifa was aware of mistakes his untuned ears didn’t pick up.

Throwing caution to the wind, a shakily-legged Cloud already made up his mind, scooting out from his chair to abandon homework.

* * *

Now that he decided to work up the courage to come out here, Tifa’s piano playing louder than before, what could he say?

Wistfully staring at the open window, her faded bedroom curtains playfully danced in the breeze. Not giving it much thought, Cloud put two fingers to his mouth, whistling.

The music abruptly stopped, as if momentarily deducing the source of the new sound. A familiar face, framed with long walnut hair, popped out from the second floor window. “Oh!”

Offering a wave down below, Tifa’s ruby eyes glimmered with kindness and curiosity. Today, she wore her chiffon one piece dress. Cloud felt it perfectly suited his neighbor’s gentle nature.

“H-hi, Tifa.” Cheeks reddening, he hadn’t expected his completely on-a-whim idea to actually _work_. _Now what?_

“Am I making too much racket, Cloud?” One year his junior, Tifa giggled, her head cocked to the side.

 “Oh, n-no! I just...uh, had something I wanted to ask you?” _Wait…I do?_

She blinked, unable to piece together _why_ her next door neighbor was constantly a ball of nerves around her. Dad didn’t seem to like him, for reasons unfathomable considering Cloud was always polite. She wondered if whatever happened between them simply couldn’t be helped?

“I’ll be right down.”

Cheeks still flushed red, Cloud slowly breathed through his nose, as if to regulate that loud thudding in his chest. Acting like a stammering dork around his crush wouldn’t do any favors.

“Hi!” Gently shutting the entrance behind her, Tifa kept a polite distance, her hands and back flat against the front door. As if preventing her father from seeing who she spoke with. Her unwavering smile was as bright as the sunny weather that blessed the current day.

“C-could you...” He took in another breath, unprepared she made it downstairs so quickly, mentally chiding himself before trying again. “Could you meet me tonight, by the old well? There’s something I wanna talk about.”

“Hmm.” Utter surprise was Tifa’s rather unfavorable reply, jewel-like eyes meeting the cobblestone ground. “Feels like all the boys are leaving town to find a job in the big city.”

“O-oh.” Utter defeat. Probably, one of the others was already a boyfriend. Probably, he already met with her at the town’s well to say farewell, offering sweet promises of keeping in touch.

Aside being an ocean away, Midgar felt like the unobtainable key in unlocking his dreams. But now...

Heart preemptively sinking in disappointment, Cloud mentally prepared himself to turn and flee. _Hiding in bed until supper’s ready sounds good._

“Is 8 fine? I might be a  _little_ late because I have piano lessons tonight....”

It took a moment for Cloud to process her reply, finally meeting her calm eyes. _Not too over enthused, now. Remember what happened back then._ Don’t _screw this up._

“That’d be great.” His smile was sincere, albeit faint. Honestly, he was somewhat at a loss regarding the proper social cues in this situation. For one thing, he _must’ve_ imagined that rose colored dusting across Tifa’s cheeks.

“Um, I’ve been meaning to ask you...” Smile carefree, Tifa’s position shifted against the door, arms crossed underneath her chest. The setting sun cast a warm glow, illuminating her brown locks. “How come you don’t hang out with us after school? It feels like you’re always rushing off home.”

“Oh...I’m just busy.” A white lie. Their old fashion style schoolhouse consisted of all grades together. Some of the older children, those in their late teens still living in town, ‘graduated’ by helping their families. Helping their parents tend to the numerous crops, or learning the tricks of the trade to run the stores they’d someday inherit. He couldn’t worry Tifa how the boys their age weren’t fond of him—youthful memories of angry fistfights after the “scarred knees incident”. Everything was his fault. Cloud’s solitude was nothing more than a Hell of his own making.

“Hm.” On weekends, she’d spot him reading alone in a dusty corner of the town library.

“Tifa! Could you come help me prep the beans?” Brian Lockhart’s voice suddenly boomed from the kitchen.

“My bad, I didn’t realize it was already dinnertime.” _Mom should be home soon, too._

Tifa shook her head at Cloud, offering an apologetic smile that their conversation was cut short, offering another small wave in farewell. “Guess I’ll see you tonight, then.”

“Yeah.” Cloud smiled at Tifa’s retreating form, happily taken aback his nerves settled through their short conversation. _I guess a little icebreaker was what I needed._

The gradual darkening sky across the horizon ushered in the first few twinkling stars. Selfish as it was, Cloud suddenly felt thankful he lived in the boring countryside. Beautifully glittering starlight was one benefit, tonight at least.

* * *

Cloud’s eyes were wet with tears, blurry from the smoke and heat of the flames. His mother lost meant he could never again accept her warm hugs. Her honest pride, only a few days ago, about Cloud’s ‘Soldier uniform’ was reduced to a bittersweet memory, simply because of another man’s lack of remorse.

He just hadn’t been strong enough—an honorable Soldier like Zack—to stop a preventable tragedy. _Tifa…at least. If she’s still alive, then…maybe…_

Groaning, he weakly trudged toward the Mako Reactor, dimly hoping he wasn’t too late.

* * *

Zack and Tifa, sprawled against the Mako Reactor pods, were already slain by Sephiroth’s hand. Unconscious, but still alive. He prayed there was hope yet, for the three of them.

_Enough!_

Glancing at that girl who long ago captured his heart, an unquenchable fire of Cloud’s raged deep. His limbs shook from the sheer weight of his best friend’s Buster Sword, silently rushing up the Reactor stairs.

_…Mom…Tifa…my town…_

“Give it back.”

* * *

Mask discarded—no need to hide the truth anymore—Cloud huffed after the adrenaline rush of stabbing the man once considered his idol. Zack’s Buster Sword on his back, he gently cradled the unconscious Tifa in his arms. Her breathing slow, she looked so peaceful. As if at rest, rather than having just lost her only parent. Just like him.

Limited knowledge what it was, he carefully set to work in stopping her bleeding with the scant materials on hand. _If only I were in Soldier…!_

Cloud ignored limping footfalls, the fallen legendary soldier’s emerald eyes narrowing towards his back in pure hatred.

A familiar, weakened, voice offered genuine encouragement. Zack groaned from simply lifting his head. “Cloud...Kill Sephiroth...”

* * *

_Tifa…Zack…safe?_

It was that point where his true memories would foggily fade to black, his blood-soaked shoulder not doing any favors in retaining consciousness. He still recalled cold metal steps caressing his skin, heavy eyes confirming Zack and Tifa—long since passed out—on either side of him.

A new flood of memories abruptly assaulted the blond’s senses. One certainly wouldn’t fathom his cheerful friend was a first hand witness to various atrocities.

_“You look pretty good with that.”_

_“What’re you gonna do once we get to Midgar?”_

_“Just kidding. I won’t leave you hanging like that....We’re friends, right?”_

Cloud shook his head, azure eyes hardening at the Shinra basement tube that was ‘home’ for 5 years. Almost nonchalant, he gently caressed the hilt of Zack’s Buster Sword in memory.

Soft footsteps, a gentle caress of his hand, quelled his nostrils flaring and seething anger—the sudden urge to physically destroy all evidence of his past.

Tifa finally spoke, her eyes wide. “...Cloud...?”

A nod. “...Yeah.” His thumb absentmindedly began caressing Tifa’s wrist. She visibly relaxed against him while he continued, “It’s time to finish this.”

With Aerith’s prayer stuck due to Sephiroth’s machinations, Avalanche had to do everything on their end to heal the Planet. The time finally arrived to revisit Midgar and take down Shinra.


End file.
